Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-03-11


outward seeming-knees crossed, and arms
folded-no life about him save in the dull
CLEAN of his black eyes under their lower
ing brows. He rose slowly and touched his
hat.
Amt he no better yet 2
Don't YOU know, - said Macdonald, irri
table with the Impotence Of suppressed
pain. that he'll never be any better in this
world y
A troubled look came into the mans wild
eyes.
81 thought it would be afore sundown,'
he muttered. Don't you believe it, sir
he amt a-goin' TO die-no, no-not he ~
He sat down again. settling back into his
old look Of logged patience. Macdonald,
finding it useless to say anything to him,
went quietly back, and took up his post
again beside Murdoch
"What was it, Mac Any one wanting
you =
1T was Bill AdamsOn, from the huts be
yond the creek. lie was wanting TO know
how you were"
BLACK Bill Poor old chap You didn't
send him away, did you I'd like 10 see
him again
Can you bear it, Murdoch =
"Why not Do let him come up !"
Macdonald went down again, and found
him still motionless in the same position.
He touched him on the shoulder.
"Adamson, will you come up He wants
to see you.
The mans whole face lighted up.
The boss May !"
He rose at once to follow-then he sud
denly stopped and carefully drew off his
heavy boots.
Did he say he wanted to see me :"
Yes"
/ lie spoke not another word, but went in
to the room with Macdonald, and stood
| awkwardly at the foot of the bed scarcely
daring 10 lift his eyes to the changed white
face with the hollow temples and drawn
| lips.
'Well, old fellow : I'm awfully glad to
/ see you. just leave US a little, will you,
/ Mac =
And Macdonald left them together
| He looked up. twisted his fingers helpless
| ", scraped the floor with his foot and
| ierked out the words, with kind of def
ance-
you won't die, boss | know you won't.
| I've made it all right ~
what do You mean Come here - And
| he went nearer, and Lennox Murdoch lift
ed his unwounded left arm and laid it
around his neck.
why. don't YOU know, boss They said
they d take me instead of you-and they
won't 20 back ON their word =
Il don't understand. Tell me all about
it,"
He raised himself-it must have cost him
fearful pan-with his old winning, mis-
chevous smile, As if he were nightly
amused at himself and the whole situation,
and laid his head down on Bills shoulder
The great bushman wound his rough
arms tenderly round the slight figure and
asked instead of answering
Does it hurt you now =
mo. not much account. Tell me what
you mean, dear old lad"
SO he told him-slowly, in broken, awk-
ward words, having to be helped out by
questions now and then-of the black fell
lows burial place and the midnight mean
tation, and how they" had promised by
the sign of the falling star. And before
he had ended the dying man sobbing
as if his heart would break.
Don't sir oh, don't You'll hurt your
self, you will -
'Bill-dear, dear old Bill-how could you
think of such thing Oh, God oh,
God -
MY life for yours-mine amt worth
much-and what would we ever do without
you =
"Oh but you mustn't-you mustn't
think of God in that way You-oh
what shall say to you! You'll break my
heart -
Don't take on--don't. ! didn't think il
would have vexed we sol wouldn't have
told -
Listen to me. now, and remember what
say. VIII you - Bill nodded, but die
not speak. ''You mustn't think it's bad fol
me to die. See-if l went away to Sydney,
you wouldn't be wanting to leave the sheel
, and run after me, would YOU You'd JUS
wait till came back.
Something like IA sob shook the mans
rugged chest, and the slow, hard tear
, gathered in his eyes.
But you'll never come back ~
''No: hut you can come to me. LooE
here-you believe | care for you, dom
you =
''Ay, that do, boss -
God made you, and he cares for you fa
more than ever l can. Can't you believ,
He loves YOU! If | didn't think He di,
me | shouldn't know what to do now. You
mustn't think He doesn't love me because
I'm dying like this. I'm going to him, ant
so will you, if you wait patiently and tr!
to do right. Remember, you won't see M
again if you do what you said
But promised"
He don't want you to keep that prom
Use. You didn't know rightly what He wa
5 when you made it. IL wish l could he'll
you-tell you clearly what | mean. Asl
, Him to help you-just AS you'd talk to me
= Promise me youll not kill your
self"
f Il won't then, if you don't want"
) shake hands on it, then. All right
e. YOU won't hurt me"-for he saw Bill look
Z ing hesitatingly at the slender, bandage'
right wrist. You'll remember now"
p II will"
e I'm be looking out for you, old man
Seems to me | shan't get ON without YOU
/ But l shall always think of your coming
) So don't you go back on me. My poor
t dear old chap !"
2 Macdonald came and laid his hand o.
Adamson's shoulder and asked him to &
. away but Murdoch looked up and said
e Let him stay, please ~ So Bill staid.
He never closed an eye during the mex
i two DAYS and nights that followed. 1t wa
i in his arms that Lennox Murdoch died
p worn out with the torture of fever an
e sleeplessness, but patient and gentle to tn
Il last while he had his senses about hin
\ Once, during the last night, he called Mao
|. donald to him and told him Bills secret
and prayed him, if he loved him, to be kin
Il to that poor, wild, laundering soul An
5 Macdonald promised, with dry eyes and DIR
It throat.
II Macdonald kept his promise. He stat
on at the run under the new squatter, an
Il so did Bill, who went about his daily wor
y much as usual, only more queer" and S
e lent than before He seemed to look abou
& him in a bewdered way, as if the worl
e were out of Joint, though he knew not how
oils onlu wi
he ever spoke to if he could help it, thong
d often when he was alone he would talk
e himself, or may be to some imagined intel
n locutor He would listen attentively
, the overseers grave, kindly words, an
/ perhaps show unexpectedly, at some late
/, time, that he had taken in more of the
e spirit than one might have thought.
% The winter passed away, and the spring
1t and another snmmer-and then he SCENE
II gradually to fail He grew listless an
e dreamy, his strength forsook him, h
e moods were stranger than ever, though Il
J. old fierce outbursts of temper were nev'
:, heard now, and there was new gentlene
ID in all his words and ways. And in tn
E. state-little likely to offer resistance to an
n disease creeping chill struck him, al
+ he took to his bed with malaI ia fever, an
never got up again
g. Macdonald rode up as soon AS he heard
I, it, and arrived only just in time to see hi
III before he died, He was unconscious of 1
around but kept murnuring to himsel
III Pm coming-yes, Pm coming ~ and ON
or twice they caught the name Murdoch
vi Temple Bar,
~ There ought to be railroad regulate
n to side-track every engineer that drink
- Macon Telegrdph